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About Bohol Island: Tour, Travel, Destination, Food

I did not have fun in Bohol… I had a blast! OMG, Bohol is such a spectacular place; no wonder it is a top tourist and travel destination in the country. The most impressive thing about the island is the fact that it is progressive and definitely a top tourist spot but it is not commercialized. How many times can you say that about popular travel places? If you’ve never been or you’re planning a trip down south, pick Bohol and you’d certainly be satisfied with the awesome tours and attractions the island has to offer; add the hospitality of Boholanos to that and you’d really be a happy tourist.

Why is the Chocolate Hills so yummy?

Mention Bohol and the good social studies student within each and everyone of us will think of the Chocolate Hills. As the plane approaches Tagbilaran City, tourists will get a glimpse of the famous Hershey’s Kisses land formation; but there is nothing like seeing it from the viewing deck and up close and personal.

The Chocolate Hills is breathtaking (like the Underground River in Palawan). It leaves you in awe, about how wonderful this world is, and gives you a general happy feeling – I mean, imaginary giant chocolates? Fantastic. 😀 However, the viewing deck is kind of high so make sure you bring your cardio, or just go slow to avoid any accident.

Suicide as a cure to stress

The smallest primates in the world, tarsiers are probably one of the cutest things you’ll ever see. The palm of my hand is bigger than them and their eyes is terribly bigger than mine! Tarsiers are endemic to Bohol and they are nocturnal, territorial animals. They cling to their branches for the love of God and they are insectivores. In the tarsier conservatory, a few tarsiers are up for the tourists to see.

Reminder: no flash from photos, stay silent, and no touching! Tarsiers are easily stressed and they cope by committing suicide. (I was actually bothered by the tarsiers being awake at day time when I visited them – poor little monkeys!)

What is the best thing about the Bohol Butterfly Sanctuary?

There are many butterfly sanctuaries around but the one in Bohol stands out because of their fabulous tourist guides! They are so fun and quirky – don’t miss them (Shout out to the fantabulous Sir Michael)! The photos that you can take with butterfly wings on your back also serves as a lovely souvenir.

Will the real Musang please stand up

I forgot the name of the exotic zoo that we visited in Bohol, but it is on the way to the Loboc River. Tourists will certainly get a kick from seeing a couple of pythons with muscles bigger than Manny Pacquiao but my favorite is the wildcat section where a palm civet (musang) and Asian leopard are displayed among others. Now if I could only score myself an Asian leopard…

Death from the Loboc River Cruise

In my Guimaras travel post, I discovered my strong dislike for water travel. The lunch buffet at the Loboc River cruise only added to that misery. The food on board was great but I was not able to eat even though I was famished because of the motion sickness. There were tons of tourists on the boat and the Loboc River was truly beautiful, but all I did was shamelessly hang on the table like a dead cat, my eyes closed, and my mouth sealed lest my stomach acids stage an exodus. Next time I go back to Bohol, no Loboc River cruise please.

Anything for the old faithful in Bohol?

I toured two old churches in Bohol: Dauis and Baclayon, 300 and 400 years old respectively (like I traveled to two churches in my Cebu tour last year too). There is actually one more church near the blood compact statue, but they don’t pay much attention to it because it is only 150 years old, WTF. 😆

Both churches are spectacular, just thinking they have stood there since forever is awesome. The paintings inside Dauis Church are very impressive while the museum in Baclayon Church with antiques and other truly interesting things rocks (definitely meatier than the one included in the Iloilo tour). One more thing, in one side of Baclayon, there is an image on the wall that they say just popped out of nowhere. It looks like a man’s face and they say it is the image of Padre Pio.

Bohol food trip!

Not much comes out when you look for Bohol delicacy and food but if there is one thing worth mentioning in terms of stuff on my plate in Bohol, it has got to be the organic salad from the Bohol Bee Farm. It has tons of flowers! I was totally weirded out at first but I knew I have to try it. What do you know, it tastes lovely! I did not enjoy the spare ribs from the same place as much because it is sweet but the grilled marlin kicks ass!

The homemade ice cream is another winner. Bohol Bee Farm makes the best ice cream around the island so don’t miss it! They have a whole range of flavors, from the regular avocado, mango, and chocolate, to the more interesting spicy ginger, tomato, and malunggay. The cone is made from dried cassava too and it is another tasty thing to put in your mouth!

Any pasalubong ideas?

The Peanut Kisses from Bohol is definitely popular among tourists and travelers. Go to the factory for a cheaper price (and if you are looking for shirts, go to the Island City Mall for better prices too). The bread spreads from the Bohol Bee Farm are also beautiful things! Get the mango and honey variants for a really yummy treat.

Any additional places to hit in Bohol?

The Mahogany man-made forest is really inspiring. It was built during the Marcos era and it makes you think, if this is possible in Bohol, then why can’t it be done in all areas in the country? It’s really nice and for a place in the middle of the road, it is truly interesting how much tourists stop and go to the middle of the road to have their photos taken.

Tourist guides also take travelers to see the smallest man in Bohol, Bayoyoy. The visit bothered me because somehow I did not like the idea that Bayoyoy is up for everyone to see… like the pythons in the zoo. It broke my heart actually.

Night life isn’t as popular in Bohol compared to other places though there was a band in one restaurant that I visited, Heritage Crab House. (Btw, the sinigang or sour pork stew in Heritage Crab House is good!)

There are many beaches in Bohol too, but I can’t speak for the beaches because I did not hit them for there are plenty of Bataan beach resorts here and I wanted to see something new. Island hopping and dolphin watching are two activities that beach bums might enjoy; of course, I took a pass… it’s the water.

Where to stay in Bohol?

I highly recommend Coco Grove for those looking for a satisfying, comfortable, and affordable stay in Bohol. All the fun for three days and two nights costs around PHP 3600 per person for a group of four (that’s me, My Man, Chicken Pi, and my travel buddy Rem).

This fee includes the country side tour, island hopping and dolphin watching, plus the Loboc River Cruise lunch buffet and everything and anything else you need. I’m pretty impressed actually! A big thank you to the staff of Coco Grove, especially to Sir Jay, for the best accommodations. We are definitely coming back. 😀 Go and visit Bohol!

maybe the ones entertaining the tourists are used to it. heaven knows how long they have been doing it. they say the tarsiers live between 15-25 years. or maybe there are tarsiers who love the attention. you never know right?

chicken pi tool the photos. 🙂 bohol is a spectacular place, i’m sure your family will love it. the tarsier conservatory helps protect and breed these little cuties so hopefully they won’t go down the way of the dinosaurs just yet.

kaya pala nawala ka eh, you went ecotouring. bohol does sound amazing. i’m really sad to hear about the tarsiers. are they in the endangered species list or are they thriving? i wish there is a program not only to preserve them but also to propagate.

they are endangered but the tarsier conservatory do help them breed. problem is,a tarsier couple can only produce one baby tarsier every mating season which happens every six months i think so their population is really challenging to restore.

one day only? but there is so much to see! the churches are really nice. it’s amazing how old they are. if you like old churches, have you seen the miag-ao church in iloilo? it’s so grand. the front is elaborately sculpted. i think you can check it out on my iloilo series.

it’s a weird coping mechanism, i agree. one tarsier in particular started gagging when all the tourists in the conservatory started going paparazzi all over him. i was ready for it to start hitting its tiny head on the branch but fortunately it decided to live another day.